PURPOSE: Evidence on the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on outcomes in patients with ovarian cancer patients is limited. We compared remission outcomes in patients with ovarian cancer before and during the pandemic. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included patients diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer between 01/01/2017 and 06/30/2021 at Kaiser Permanente Southern California. Pre and post pandemic periods were designated using March 4, 2020, as the cut-off. Stage I-IV patients who completed chemotherapy and/or surgery as first-line treatment were included. Data on remission outcomes (complete and clinical remission) were abstracted by manual chart reviews. Complete remission was defined as no evidence of disease
clinical remission included both complete and partial response to treatment. Modified Poisson regression was used to evaluate the association of pandemic and remission. Effect modification by race/ethnicity was evaluated. RESULTS: Of 748 ovarian cancer patients included, 72.7% and 27.3% patients were diagnosed before and during the pandemic, respectively. Complete remission was observed in 75.7% and 73.5% patients before and during the pandemic, respectively (p = 0.53). No statistically significant association of pandemic period with remission outcomes was observed in the adjusted models. However, race/ethnicity modified the association of pandemic period with complete remission (p-value <
0.01). White patients, but not other racial/ethnic groups, were 13% more likely to achieve complete remission during the pandemic than during the pre-pandemic [adjusted rate ratio (95% confidence interval): 1.13 (1.00-1.28)]. CONCLUSION: Patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer achieved similar complete and clinical remission rates before and during the pandemic. Association of the pandemic period with complete remission varied for White vs non-White patients.